A Strange Love
by Cececat
Summary: A wealthy Transylvanian aristocrat one day brings home his 12-year-old bastard son 'Riff Raff'. Soon after said bastard meets his three half sisters he's sent away to school. The youngest of the sisters (Magenta, age 10) falls in love with the boy and spends years daydreaming about him. When he returns, this crush of hers causes trouble for all. (Please Read/Review!)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_**

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 **A/N: Most 'original' names are taken from _King Lear_ , mainly because all the names in that are weird. It's also sort of symbolic... **

**This began as an attempt to get write a backstory for Mags & Riff that was a bit different and got around the Westermarck Effect (I assume it still exists in humanoid aliens, it's very useful genetically). By the way, Goneril's fiance Edmund is the Lord de'Lordy we know from _Revenge of the Old Queen_. Though not yet. **

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Lord Leir de'Lordy was one of the most respectable noblemen on the entire planet Transsexual, of the galaxy of Transylvania. His family was one of most influential and very ancient. For many centuries de'Lordy Manor had stood looming over a wide market-square. It was also quite near the royal palace.

Though Leir's wife – the beautiful Lady Cordelia – was dead, he already had three pretty young daughters.

The eldest was called Goneril and happened to be fourteen when our little tale begins. Next was Regan, aged 12. Last of all was little ten-year-old Magreta Cordelia. Named for the poor woman who died giving birth to the dear child, she was also lucky enough to look just like her mother. That meant she was the prettiest, you see. Fair skin, wide green eyes, and a mess of curly red hair. For _some_ reason, she was only ever referred to by her full name of 'Magreta Cordelia' or the nickname 'Mags'.

These sisters three never really knew other children. Their father wanted them to interact with others as seldom as possible. This was a rather silly, but carefully enforced, rule. The only other young people they saw were the three royal children – a daughter and two sons born of Queen Marina and her husband Henry.

The only reason the sisters spent time with those people was because Leir couldn't exactly refuse a request of the Queen's…

Because of this 'limited contact' the sisters were unsure what to do when Daddy brought home a brother they'd never heard of. He was a bastard fathered by Leir and mothered by someone called 'Miss Kitty'. For reasons unknown to the innocent young sisters their Daddy wouldn't explain who/what exactly Miss Kitty was.

"It's not for young ears to hear," he at one point told them.

A few days after the boy had arrived at the de'Lordy Manor Lord Leir called the girls to one of house's living rooms. It was the one everyone called the Silver Room because of its interior decoration color scheme. All different shades of pale grays and metallic silvers. Even the wooden tables were painted in those colors.

The three sisters sat down on one of the four couches, all in a row.

They each wore their finest clothes. For Goneril, this meant a fitted black knee-length dress that made her dark red hair look quite striking in contrast. With this she wore a necklace of the darkest garnets. Regan wore a dress of scarlet velvet, which looked very nice with _her_ hair – dark brown, like her father's. Young Magreta Cordelia wore an innocent white dress that fell to her knees in pleats. The bodice of it was modest – for she was a mere child – and the neckline adorned with pearls.

Their newfound brother wore a somber black suit. His hair – which was darkish color quite like Leir's – was combed for the first time in a very long time. Though his face was attractive in shape, with defined cheekbones, it was sullen in color from many years living poorly. Though the sisters were by no means fat, they looked plump compared to him.

When Leir began to speak, he addressed his daughters. "Now, my dears… I've called you here to discuss this boy who is your brother. He lived the first twelve years of his life in a dismal place; without the many comforts _we_ take for granted. His mother was a poor wretch with little money to feed him or herself. She has died recently – of a dreaded illness – and this boy would starve if somebody else didn't save him. Luckily, it was around this time. Now he's to live here, to be educated well. His name is Edgar."

"My name's Riff Raff," he said stubbornly. " _Not_ Edgar. Edgar is a silly name!"

"We shall call you 'Riff' then," Leir replied, smiling.

Nobody spoke for a moment. Goneril and Regan were both very bored by then, and neither really wanted. Magreta Cordelia

"Girls? Will you introduce yourselves?" Leir asked.

"Indeed. I'm Goneril, the eldest."

"I'm called Regan."

"And I'm Margreta Cordelia."

Somehow, Riff misheard Margreta Cordelia and thought her name was 'Magenta Cordelia. Because of how quickly the conversation moved on, he wasn't corrected. To him, Magenta sounded like an actual name.

"So, Riff. Now that you're properly the son of a very rich and powerful man… what do you want the most?" Leir asked.

Being the funny sort of person he was, Lord Leir de'Lordy often asked questions like that. Hypothetical questions, in which may or may not result in the answerer earning some sort of reward. So one just had to know what sort of answer he wanted. Leir was the sort of fool that would give away a third of his property to a daughter who told him the loved him very much… even if said daughter was a known liar.

"I would like to be a scientist, to go to school and learn all about… science things," Riff said, after much thought.

"Really? Well, that's exactly what will happen. You'll leave as soon as possible – which might be tomorrow since I've go so much influence. I send money to various schools around here, you know. I'll get you into the very best school! Now, if I hear you aren't studying or you start to fail classes, I'll bring you straight home. Though I'm sure you'll do well enough!"

Margreta Cordelia dearly hoped that this odd boy would return. Somehow, she thought him to be sweet. At that point it didn't exactly register in her mind that this odd boy was her brother. No, she hadn't been paying attention. To her he was merely. Since he went away the next day – and nobody really talked about him again – she half thought him to be a dream. She'd fallen for him at first sight!

Of course, he wasn't that handsome. He looked rather sickly! The reason she was so attracted to him was that he wasn't very handsome, yet he was honest and kind (or so he seemed, in those two days she'd known him). So, as the years went by, she pined for him. This half-imagined boy that she never mentioned, fearing that somebody might tell her that he wasn't real.

When she was 15, a letter arrived at the de'Lordy Manor announcing that "Young Mr. Edgar 'Riff Raff' de'Lordy" was to arrive in two weeks time, having finished five years at the School for the Biological Sciences.

Unfortunately, they were right in the middle of planning a wedding. Goneril – now a young woman of 19 – was going to marry a cousin of the Queen's. His name was Edmund, and he liked 15-year-old Magreta Cordelia too much.

"Edgar? Who's _that_?" Goneril asked, when she saw the letter.

"He was that child I fathered 17 years ago. I brought him here was he was about 12 and it seems he returning from school I apparently sent him to."

Magreta Cordelia overheard this conversation as she ran from Goneril's fiancé Edmund. That boy she remembered… he was real! And he was to return so very soon! This, she thought, was wonderful news.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_**

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 **A/N: Thanks for reviewing, LittleCollieLovett! Here's more, only a few hours after you asked for it!**

 **So... Riff and Mags are sort of out-of-character at this point. That's because they haven't become who they are in RHPS yet. They're much younger, for one thing. And I know Riff has blond hair. Like I said, this is way before the movie.**

 **Hopefully the futuristic tech ('hovercarts') plus old-fashioned clothes isn't too weird. It's sort of steampunk. Also, some names are stolen from the play _Henry IV, Part 1._ **

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On the day Riff was supposed to arrive at the de'Lordy Manor, only Magreta Cordelia was actually waiting by the servants door for him. That's where he'd been showing up because it wasn't public knowledge that he'd be there. Having a semi-stranger be seen at their door would be odd and probably bother Goneril. Being a powerful family wasn't always good. You had to follow certain social 'rules'.

Magreta Cordelia wore her favorite dress. It was made of a white satin and had a lower neckline than her other dresses. This made it seem very grown-up in Magreta Cordelia's opinion. Grown-up or not, it was very hard to clean and therefore reserved for special occasions. She knew her father would be annoyed if he knew she wore it there.

The moon shone bright that day, making the dress stand out even more than usual.

For hours and hours Magreta Cordelia sat on the staircase outside the servant's door. Halfway through the afternoon a rentable hovercart (sometimes called a 'cab') arrived and, after a young man exited it, quickly departed. The young man in question wore a dusty old suit and held a suitcase in one hand. He soon spotted the girl waiting for him.

"Hello!" she said brightly.

He walked toward the staircase where

"Magenta Cordelia?" he said. "You've grown up."

"As have you," she replied, not bothering to correct him.

Indeed he had. Now he was quite a bit taller and his complexion healthy looking. His darkish hair was now a bit longer, almost to his shoulders, and left sort of a mess. At least his face was shaved, so the messy hairstyle looked more intentional.

"It's lovely to see you again. Of course, I never really saw you in the first place."

Slowly, she walked towards him. Then she grabbed his hands and began to inspect them. Understandably, this bothered him a bit.

"What're you doing?" Riff asked, though he didn't move away.

"Looking!"

"At what?"

Smiling slightly, she looked up at his face. "Your hands. I wanted to see if they were working class hands – which are rough – or the hands of a gentleman – which are soft and free of scars. You've got a few burns on your left hand I see. Why?"

"Science projects."

"You're a scientist?" Magreta Cordelia said, eyes wide.

He didn't answer her question, though he _did_ speak."So, Magenta Cordelia – can I just call Magenta?"

Magreta nodded.

"Good. As I was saying, it seems that I'm not exactly welcome here. Father is kind and well meaning, but I'm no good as a gentleman. I'd probably insult anyone I didn't agree with politically, which is essentially suicide. I _know_ that this family has close ties with the Royal Family. I _know_ that I hate how this planet's being governed. What I'm trying to say is… I'll be staying somewhere else while in town. Tell that to our Father if he even bothers asking."

"You're leaving? Already?" Magreta asked, heartbroken.

"Sort of. I'm staying at a nearby inn – the _Prancing Pony_ – which is not far from this house. It's practically within walking distance, in fact. I'll go there now… and you mustn't follow me. Do you here me?"

"I won't follow you, I promise," she lied.

Only moments after he'd gone away, Magreta ran back into the Manor to find a less fancy outfit. Up the stairs she went and to her bedroom. There, she soon found a black dress that had belonged to her mother (originally made for the mourning of Magreta Cordelia's great-grandmother). It fit her well enough and had a lower neckline – like the white dress she wore. After changing into that she put on a bit of darker red lipstick. Then she brushed out her hair – making it messy – and wrapped a scarf around her shoulders.

"There," she muttered.

Now she looked nothing like herself (or so _she_ thought). In any case, she managed to slip out of the Manor without anyone noticing. When she was in the street out front she was suddenly scared. So many people! So many sounds!

It was strange yet wonderful. There were all those people bustling about… all dodging those hovercarts everyone drove these days. Many of the people shouted greetings at each other. Some even sang folk songs!

"Can you tell me where the _Prancing Pony_ is?" she asked the first person she could.

"Why, yes. Just keep walking that way for a while," said the person.

Before, Magreta Cordelia hadn't ever left her house alone. Walking to this nearby inn was a great adventure to her. A girl of 14 – a child, really – shouldn't be alone in the city streets. Why, it was all too simple for a hovercart to run into her or something (they flew right at the height of her head). Yet Magreta Cordelia herself didn't know this… so she didn't worry about it.

Through the crowds she walked. Finally, she saw a sign that said _The Prancing Pony_ on the side of a tall, old looking building. In the growing darkness (the moon was setting) she could just barely see a young man standing nearby. He was smoking a pipe – the sort Earthlings associate with Sherlock Holmes – and wearing what looked like a corset, garters, fishnets, and heels (among other items). Something about his heavily made-up face was disturbingly familiar. Startled, Magreta quickly entered the building.

She regretted this right away. It was noisier than the street and many more people were smoking. Disgusted, she began to cough.

A man walked over to her.

"Do ya need anthin'?" he asked. "I work here, ya know. Run this place, I does."

Then, a woman wearing a red dress appeared. "Shove off, Kneel! This girl's a right little, she is."

"Meaning she won't get m' jokes?"

"No she _won't_!"

Looking very disappointed, Kneel wandered off into the crowd. Magreta Cordelia then decided to ask the woman in red about Riff.

"Do you have anyone by the name Riff Raff here? Or Edgar?" Magreta Cordelia asked the woman.

"Yes indeed. You know him?"

"I do."

The woman began to lead Magreta into a hallway adjacent to the room they'd just been in. "My name's Doll Tearsheet, by the way. I'm good friend to Missy Quickly an' I lives here."

Magreta Cordelia smiled. "Nice to meet you Miss Tearsheet. Do you know why Kneel is called by that name?"

At this, Doll laughed. "'Cause that's all he wants the girls – and guys, or so some says – to do!"

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	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_**

 **A/N: T** **hanks for reviewing the previous two chapters, Little Collie Lovett! It's interesting to know what the characters look like to you. Of course, to _m_ _e_ Doll looks like the actress who played Doll Tearsheet in the Shakespeare Theatre Company (in Washington DC) production of _Henry IV, Part 1 &_ _2_ that I saw a few years ago. I've still got the playbill, you know. **

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Soon enough, Doll showed Magreta Cordelia to a room. The door was closed and voices could be heard through it. There seemed to be an argument going on if tone of voice was anything to go by. One of the voices was clearly Riff's.

Doll hesitated before opening the door. "Now, I wouldn't be going in if I was you. There's something funny about Mr. Riff Raff. You really do know him?"

"Of course!"

"Fine."

Then she opened the door. Riff and a sophisticated looking young man were standing next to a table having some sort of intense - yet hushed - argument. Soon after Doll had left Magreta Cordelia standing in the doorway, Riff turned around.

"Magenta! What are you doing here?" he shouted.

"Looking for you, of course. You left so soon and I couldn't bear it. All these years I've wondered if you were just a strange dream - father never spoke of you once you'd left. I fell in love when I saw that poor, sickly boy standing in the Silver Room. I loved you then and I still love you now!"

"You were ten. Too young to understand love."

"But _darling_!"

"Now, now _little sister_. I'm busy talking to this gentleman so why don't you just sit down and wait for me to be able to walk you home," he said darkly.

Not wanting to fight any more she sat down in the corner. The hushed conversation between Riff and the young man resumed. Magreta Cordelia tried to hear what they were saying. Something about a contract of some sort.

Though to her it didn't matter. She was just glad to see her dear brother again. Now he was all grown up, much stronger than that poor boy she met years ago! Cleverer, too, if his apparent status as a scientist was anything to go by. How could she not love him?

Being the sheltered girl she was, Magreta Cordelia didn't really understand the implications of such love. Yes, she knew what couples often did late at night when nobody was around. Yes, she knew what trouble that could cause with blood relatives. That was a different matter entirely in her mind. This was _love_ that she felt. Not that strange lust felt by Edmund, that odd look in his eye that made Magreta Cordelia shudder is disgust. What she felt for Riff was true affection... alibi true affection for a young man she hardly knew.

So she sat there in the corner for a while. Finally, the stranger left the room (carrying a bundle of papers with him).

Riff Raff turned towards his sister. After staring at her for a moment, he

"What am I to do with you?" he muttered.

"Let me stay here, where I can be near you. Darling, I've daydreamed of you for five years! The thought of you one day returning – turning out not to be a dream – kept me going through it all. Father means well, yes. But he's a fool! He sent you away to school and forgot you ever existed. The bills became just another of his many charities. Though he cares dearly for my sisters and I, he doesn't truly understand everything. Goneril and Regan are fiendish girls and it's horrid to live with them. You were my escape!"

She rushed towards him and grabbed his hands, drawing him closer.

"Sometimes I thought you were just a dream. I love you, I have for so long. You were the poor boy Father rescued that would one day return to save the worthiest of his daughters – meaning me. Please, Riff. I must stay here with you. To have waited so long…"

For a moment he looked upon her with an expression of strange pity. "That, you must admit, is childish. And rather creepy, when you think about it. All fairy tales are creepy when you think about them – and it seems you base most of your ideas about life on such nonsense. Though I'm not saying I don't feel sorry for you, pity _is_ one thing you deserve."

The two of them stood there in silence for a while. Then, Magreta finally spoke.

"Can I stay here? Just for the night? With everyone plotting out Goneril's wedding they won't notice I've gone. Anyway, it's probably too late to walk me home. It's awfully dark I'm _sure_."

Riff Raff was too tired to argue at that point. So he just gave in to her silly demand. It made no sense to him, of course. It made no sense to any sane person. Because of her peculiarly sheltered upbringing Magreta believed that reality followed the same 'logic' as the fictional worlds from in folktales and films. The latter was a technology stolen from a primitive planet called 'Earth', which the upper class had developed a peculiar fascination of. Prince Frank in particular loved the film _King Kong_ for reasons unknown to most people.

"I get to sleep in your bed, yes?" Magreta said, eyes wide.

"Fine. You may," her half-brother replied.

For reasons the girl didn't really understand yet, the idea of sleeping next to somebody in their bed sounded quite appealing.

Since Riff saw the girl – two years his junior, terribly enough – as a little sister he didn't really think anything of this excitement she displayed. He believed it to be merely her way of showing how lonely she'd been all these years, how desperately she needed someone to protect her. It was sweet, he thought.

Laughing, he picked her up. She was surprisingly light. Bridal-style, he carried her into the room next to the study. That was where he'd decided to stay until he found a more permanent residence. Thanks to the projects he'd patented, he had quite a bit of money saved up and still continued to earn more. Thought this didn't exactly make him rich, you know, it never the less gave him freedom to enjoy life – as any unmarried person might – for at least a few years. The money wasn't enough for him to support a husband/wife for that long, though.

Or a strange little sister, come to think of it…

After he'd set carefully her down in his bed he lay down beside her. This made her smile, especially once he wrapped her arms around her waist. She curled up against him and kissed him lightly on the lips. That was actually rather challenging because she'd been facing away from him. Soon, of course, she was facing him.

"Goodnight, Magenta," he whispered into her ear.

Her wild, curly red hair was soft and smelled vaguely of some sort of perfume. This comforted him – a bastard child sent away to a loveless boarding school for five years – in the strangest sort of way. It felt… right.

To his horror, he felt as if he needed _this_. A person who loved him more than anything! He didn't care anymore that she was a child in the eye of the law (he wasn't) or that they were siblings (half-siblings was nearly the same thing genetically) or that she was too innocent for the life he lived (well, the people he lived near).

All of that, dear reader, is the very definition of wrong.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_**

 **A/N: I've got a lot of different ideas plotted out for this story. I can't wait to write some of the _really_ good stuff... **

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The next day, Magreta awoke to find herself in a comfortable bed with her beloved brother's arms wrapped around her. Since he was rather strong she could hardly move. This made her laugh for some reason.

Never before had she been so close to anyone. It was so strange. Somehow she was so near him that she could feel his heart beating. Being the odd child that she was, Magreta had a peculiar fascination with hands. That's one reason she grabbed Riff's hands the previous day and inspected them.

Now he was still asleep. That meant he couldn't move away if she grabbed his hands again – or so she thought. Though they were near enough to each other that it would be hard to move him. And his arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. That wasn't good, she thought.

So, for a moment, she struggled to move his arms away. This took much effort since he was so much stronger. Years of actually doing manual work – even just carrying heavy machines around a science lab – made him very strong. The heaviest thing Magreta ever tried to pick up was that horrid textbook her governess gave her.

Though she was determined to move his arms that she didn't think about how much stronger he happened to be. It's said by some that one can sometimes do impossible things if the think they can. If they dream the impossible dream, as the old song goes.

So the very determined girl tried and tried to move his arms away. Soon enough she managed this. She even found a way to hold herself up! If she held his hands and pressed her arm – from wrist to elbow – against his she could hold herself up. This, of course, took much of her energy.

After hardly any time she collapsed on top of him. Her weight on his chest woke him up. Quickly, he pushed her away so she again lay next to him. She then grabbed ahold of his shirt's sleeve as if she needed to hold onto him somehow.

"What're you _doing_?" he grumbled, rather annoyed.

"I'm not sure. Well, I was trying to move your arms away. You'd _trapped_ me!" she said, pouting.

"You liked it, you wanted me to put my arms around you. I didn't trap you," he told her firmly. "And you mustn't say such things because somebody might here you and get the wrong idea!"

"What if I want them to get the wrong idea?" the girl said coolly.

Her half-brother sighed dramatically. "If that happens they'll send me to a prison. Even though I hardly know you I still good enough that I wouldn't hurt you! So please don't shout or anything. Even if you are just playing, pretending. There's no way other people could know that!"

Magreta knew he was right. Still, she was quite annoyed at him for being annoyed at her. All the years she'd spent daydreaming about him. It was dreadful that he didn't like her back. Maybe, she decided, he would like her better if she kissed him. Yes, the prince always fell in love with the princess once they'd kissed.

So that's exactly what she did. Kissed him! Of course, she'd never actually kissed anybody before. Somehow she managed to miss. Instead of her lips ending up on his – like they were supposed to – they ended up more on the side of his face. Very inconvenient. This surprised him enough that she got the chance to try again. That time things went a bit better. She managed to kiss him on the lips… but he managed to move her away. This made her rather annoyed. Again.

Riff glared at her. "That's not the proper thing to do, little sister. I know we don't share a mother but we do share a father. That means we're closely related by blood and therefore can't do such things. In fact, I learned about something in school that should keep this sort of thing from happening. Of course it only works if we were raised together for about the first six or seven years of our lives. Now, little sister, you've only known me for a few days – hardly that! – so you mustn't act like this. If anyone finds out-"

"But who would? Why, I could run away and live with you. I'd adopt a false name, like Magenta Domina-"

"Don't be silly, Magenta. A different last name isn't enough!" he said darkly.

Then, Magreta laughed. "Ha! My name is _really_ Magreta Cordelia and I think you must've misheard it. I only let you keep calling me 'Magenta' because I don't like my real name."

Though this sort of annoyed Riff, he didn't have time to think about it. He _knew_ he needed to get her home before trouble started. If Lord Leir de'Lordy found out that his daughter had been out all night something terrible would happen. Probably Riff getting arrested or something.

"Your clothes are a bit of a mess, Magenta," Riff said with a sigh.  
"As is my hair," she added. "I usually have a servant braid it for me before bed so it doesn't get like this."

Her brother laughed mirthlessly. "A servant braiding your hair for you? What different lives we've known!"

Now Magreta almost felt guilty. This young man had worked for years to be where he was at that point. She'd spent her life doing foolish, petty things. Like most of the upper class she hadn't worked a day in her life! This made her ashamed.

"You really must take me home?" she asked, softly.

He nodded. "Yes. I must. Straighten out your clothes and fix your hair, for we'd better leave now."

That's exactly what she did. Once she looked a bit more presentable the two of them left the room. They walked into the room he'd had that meeting in the previous night, then out the door, and _then_ into the room where all the people had been smoking the evening before. There weren't any people there now.

Riff led Magreta out of that building and down the street. At that point it was very early in the morning and the moonlight could barely be seen. Few people were out and about at such a time.

Soon enough, they reached de'Lordy Manor. Magreta Cordelia didn't want to go back to her strict lifestyle as an upper-class lady. There were so many rules, and she'd be away from her beloved.

So, she stood outside the servant's entrance and stared at the door.

"What're you doing?" Riff Raff asked.

"Hesitating. I don't want to go in, not yet. What if Edmund is there, behind that door?" Magreta Cordelia said fearfully.

"I'll kick him if he is," her brother replied, assuming that Edmund wasn't there. That made sense.

Alas, when Magreta Cordelia opened the door she found Edmund flirting with (harassing) the scullery maid. Since scullery maids already have a miserable enough time, Magreta Cordelia was outraged. Her brother, on the other hand, was so surprised to see Edmund that he just stood there.

It took Edmund hardly any time to notice the people standing at the doorway. "What's this, hmm? It seems that Magreta Cordelia is here with a young man her family hasn't even met. What a slut she's become!"

"Don't you dare call her a slut," Riff said coldly.

Then he punched Edmund in the face, breaking that monster's nose.

"YOU SHALL PAAAAAAAAAAAAY FOR _THIS_!" Edmund screamed.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_**

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 **A/N: Thanks for reviewing, WonderfulMidnight. It isn't really inspired by _King_ _Lear_ except for the names and a few smaller ideas. Sorry. Though the character names from _Henry IV_ will be somewhat meaningful. **

**Also, I'm sorry I haven't been updating anything lately. Things haven't been going well (not that that's really a good excuse). As of 6/21/2016 I think my ability to write has returned.**

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Everyone in the entire house – or so it seemed – heard Edmund shouting. They saw the blood on Riff's hand, the expression of shock on Magreta Cordelia's face. Of course, Goneril was the most upset about her darling Edmund's pretty nose getting smashed. Everyone else just seemed upset that somebody behaved violently towards a future member of the de'Lordy Family. Nobody seemed to register the fact that an actual blood relative hit this so-called 'future relative'.

"Explain this, young man!" Lord Leir de'Lordy said unhappily.

"Sir, he called your daughter – a good, respectable young woman – a very nasty word I won't repeat. Because of this I hit him. Though it's not like his face looks any worse."

"Are you being sarcastic with me, young man?"

Riff Raff nodded. "Indeed, sir. Can't help it, sir. Nothing has gone well since I got into town so I've the right to be upset and rather grumpy. I almost sold my soul to the devil's living, crossdressing incarnation only yesterday evening. Also, my own younger sister wants to sleep with me. Can't you just ignore this little injury I inflicted – for a good cause, mind you – right now?"

Of course, everyone thought he was joking because of the absurdity of his words. The tone of voice didn't help. This was intentional, since Riff was clever enough to know that stating a bizarre truth can help you get away with things. If one is to just go steal a hovercart they won't get away with it. If they steal the hovercart while singing the national anthem of Transsexual Transylvania and wearing a rabbit costume, the 'weirdness censor' in the minds of nearby people will delete this event from their memories. _Then_ , you can get away with the theft.

But even those odd words weren't enough to distract from the blood on Edmund's face. That was all too much. So Lord de'Lordy hardly listened.

"My dear, trusted daughters. Here we must make a decision. Should this young man be punished for what he did? Hitting young Edmund for insulting Magreta Cordelia?" he asked calmly.

Of course, two of his daughters wanted to be on his side. They both knew

Magreta Cordelia – being quite naïve – would choose what she believed to be the most honest. That wasn't exactly a good thing for her.

"I think you should punish him. I'm sure that darling Edmund didn't really say anything to Magreta Cordelia," Goneril said sweetly.

"I agree, Father. What this young stranger did was unjust," Regan added.

Magreta Cordelia, on the other hand, burst into tears. "Why, poor Riff didn't do anything wrong! Edmund insulted me and was harassing the scullery maid. Please don't hurt him. He's already had enough trouble."

"What do you mean? He _is_ trouble," Goneril sneered, putting her arm around Edmund. "He should be sent away. Far away, where he can't bother us."

Regan nodded in agreement. "Yes, and you mustn't defend him! Father should send _you_ away too!"

Unsure what else to do, old Leir de'Lordy did as his elder daughters suggested…

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So, they both left. Neither really knew what to say as they walked back to the Prancing Pony. This was a lot more severe in Riff's mind. He actually had enough experience to know how bad that was. Now they were both officially disowned and essentially banished from the family. _That's_ serious business.

Once the both of them were standing in his rented room he finally spoke.

"What are we going to do?" he asked.

"I shall live here with you for a while and be your housewife,"

Riff stared at her for a moment. "You can't be my 'housewife' because you're my sister. The title 'housewife' implies that we're a couple who's been married – and the relationship – at some point. We haven't done any of that and we never will. Half-siblings is a close enough blood relation to that inbreeding is a serious danger. And I do know what I'm talking about since I'm a scientist who studied biology!"

"Don't you have any sense of romance? This is going to be wonderful!"

"No, it really isn't."

Then, Magreta grabbed his arms. After inspecting his hands (out of peculiar habit) she pressed her arms against his in a manner quite like that odd position they'd ended up in earlier. It was some sort of secret handshake.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"It's what we do. It's a symbol of our love."

"Stop being silly. We aren't star crossed lovers or-"

"How do you know?"

"Because… I don't – I _can't_ – love you like that. We aren't star crossed lovers if it's one-sided!" he shouted

Then Doll Tearsheet entered the room. That day she wore a dressing gown of dark red silk, a lace-edged black corset, and netted stockings. She looked quite surprised to see Magreta standing there.

"What's this?" she asked. "This friend of yours is back?"

"Yes, and I shall live with him forever!" Magreta said cheerfully.

"No you won't," Riff said sullenly. Then he turned to Doll. "What is it you want?"

"Missy Quickly sent me here. Apparently there're some rather unpleasant looking people here to see ya. One of them his pretty high-ranking, apparently. From what I over heard it seems someone as great as Prince Hal himself is calling on you. Not that _he_ would ever be here…"

There seemed to be an inside joke to this, which Magreta didn't get – particularly the last sentence or so. Though she didn't have much time to think about it, for Riff sent her into the apartment's bedroom.

"Wait there while I sort this out," he said darkly.

So she did. There didn't seem like much to do in that room, though she decided to properly explore it first. That was mildly interesting. Besides the bed there was a dresser full of his clothes and a bedside table with the room's only lamp. Once she tired of looking through her brother various personal belongings Magreta began pacing around the room.

When he finally entered room, he looked very weary. "Magenta, it's time for bed. Since I'm too nice to let you sleep on the floor you'll be sharing with me. Please don't do anything weird."

She nodded… then took off her dress. So she was down to her slip and corset.

"What are you doing?" Riff asked.

"Getting undressed," she replied. "Do you expect me to sleep in that dress again?"

Her brother couldn't think of a suitable reply to this so he just said nothing. This only made things more awkward.

The two of them lay upon the bed with the blankets wrapped 'round the both of them. It was quite comfortable. Then, Riff turned off the light and the two of them fell asleep.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_**

 **A/N: The 'diseases' conversation is based on a scene from _Henry IV_. Doll Tearsheet (who's actually from _Henry IV_ ) and Falstaff have almost the exact same that weird argument or whatever in Act 2, I think it is. **

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The next morning, when Magenta awoke, she noticed that her brother was already gone. It took her a moment to realize that, despite this, she wasn't alone.

"Hello, luv," said Doll Tearsheet, who sat atop the dresser.

"What're you doing here?" she asked.

"Nothing really. You're brother wanted somebody to be there when you woke up so he asked me to be that somebody," the older woman replied.

That day she'd worn a really lovely dress made of layers of a semi-sheer fabric printed with a dark red floral design. The neckline was quite low. Her lips were painted a deep red, her face powdered with something pale, and her curled hair tied up with a silk scarf. It all looked rather elegant and _very_ sexy. Even Magenta thought so, despite being young and naive.

"Where do you get your clothes?" Magenta asked.

Doll shrugged. "Oh, different places. Why?"

"I _really_ like the different things you wear. Can I borrow something sometime?"

"I suppose so."

And so, Magenta ended up borrowing some of Doll's sluttish wardrobe. They made her look far older than she was. This she saw as a good thing for some reason.

The exact outfit Doll picked out for her consisted of a dark red corset, a sheer black overdress. Her makeup was to be done very much like Doll's, though her hair different (left down and frizzed slightly).

After Magenta gotten dressed – and let Doll apply her makeup – the both of them left the room. They walked through the adjacent study and into the hallway. They finally made their way to the main room of the tavern.

Already there were a number of patrons. Including Kneel, who sat at a table with a number of other people laughing and drinking. It was too early in the day for drinking though nobody in the Prancing Pony seemed to care.

"Where's my brother?" Magenta asked.

Doll laughed. "Oh, at his work. I shan't tell ya what that is because he asked me not to. Though I am supposed ta keep track of you today.

"What's your job?"

"You shall see, my girl, you shall see," Doll replied, somewhat nervously.

That's when Kneel noticed Doll standing near the doorway leading to the rest of the inn. They were something like friends, you know. Much time of theirs was spent arguing about foolish things or calling each other names… but it really was all in good fun.

"Doll! My favorite giver of diseases!" he shouted cheerfully to her, beckoning for her to come towards his table.

She did so, and Magenta followed her. The latter really was rather confused by it all.

"Kneel – my favorite getter of diseases – what is it you want?" Doll said.

"I want nothing. Thanks to you, I've caught everything."

"That's a lie, that is. You're more of a virgin then a priestess. You're just all about the talking… you're never doing."

" _You_ are always doing but never talking enough, Doll. If you talked – here meaning protested – there would be less doing. But that's your job and we all know it. Especially you, with all you're diseases as a reminder!"

Doll laughed. "Ha! The terrible thing about this place is that it's bad for the health. Patrons get sick from both too much drink and too much of me."

This strange conversation was interrupted by the appearance of the landlady – Mistress Missy Quickly

"Doll! Zis person called 'Frank' is here for you," she explained.

"Aw, not him! Not him! He's a swaggering rascal, I always say. The foulest rogue on this planet! A _monster_ , I tells you."

"I agree, Doll. But he says he vants you _now_ ," said Quickly.

Suddenly quite frightened looking, Doll ran off towards the hallway that led to the rest of the inn. Young Magenta just stood there looking confused. None of this made much sense to her. Her father had raised his three daughters in a very old fashioned manner. Very little influenced her innocent upbringing and her mind was quite 'pure'. So she knew nothing of Doll's unpleasant occupation… or practically anything involving sex, come to think of it.

"Vhat're you?" Mistress Quickly asked when she noticed Magenta.

"I'm called Magenta. My beloved stays here in one of the rooms, and I'm going to stay here with him," the girl explained.

"Magenta? _Zat's_ an odd name. Vho's zis man – zis 'beloved' – you speak of?"

"The scientist named Riff Raff."

For a moment Quickly looked confused. Then, an expression of understanding appeared on her face. An odd smile of some sort appeared upon her painted lips, a sudden spark of liveliness lit in her eye.

"Ah! Yes, I remember him. He's a quiet young man who doesn't seem ze sort for relationships. Zough you seem honest – more honest zan most people here – so I believe you. Or in the very least I believe that you think vhat you say is ze truth."

They stood there in silence for a moment. Kneel and the other patrons had gone back to their rowdy conversation. Nobody took any notice of Magenta or Mistress Quickly by then.

"Is there anything I can help with? Cleaning dishes or something?" Magenta asked, after a moment. "I haven't anything to do when he's working."

"I'm sure ve vill find you a job. Nozing like vhat Doll does, of course. But _somezing_."

Indeed, Magenta soon found herself doing various small jobs. Most of it was just following Quickly around and helping her out.

Mistress Missy Quickly had an odd accent that Magenta found fascinating. So, the girl quickly (not pun intended) got into the habit of imitating it. After only a few hours she was quite good at speaking in that manner. Of course, she didn't sound

Life here wouldn't be bad at all, Magenta decided.

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	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_**

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 **A/N: Thanks for reviewing (and prompting me to write more), Guest. In this chapter things get very weird. Hopefully you'll still like the story even now. **

**Yes, the story about the king marrying his mother is the tale of Oedipus the King. I couldn't help but mention it. Let's just pretend that Transsexual Transylvania has a similar story...**

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The next weeks Magenta spent helping Mistress Quickly, talking to all the Prancing Pony's strange customers, learning vulgar jokes from Kneel, singing drinking songs with Doll, and sometimes eating dinner with her brother.

He spent most of his time at 'work' – whatever that was – and often came home to the inn very late. Usually he drank three pints of something (Magenta didn't know what) as soon as he was 'home'. Mistress Quickly gave him that for free out of pity. Once or twice, a drunk Riff allowed his 'little sister' to share his bed in a rather incestuous manner. This he didn't seem to remember. So she never mentioned it, fearing he might not realize what was happening. Indeed, he hardly ever remembered what happened when he'd had too much to drink.

This life wasn't so bad for Magenta, truthfully. It was certainly more eventful.

Only about eight weeks or so after she'd properly moved in, Magenta began to feel rather ill. This was the first time she'd ever been sick after leaving home. For some reason, she decided to go to Mistress Quickly for help.

"Vhat do you mean by 'ill'?" Quickly asked.

"Sick to my stomach and lightheaded. Sort of dizzy, too," Magenta replied.

Mistress Quickly had owned such a den of drunken fools and whores for long enough to know the difference between too much drink, the sort of thing Doll Tearsheet had, a 'respectable' illness like influenza, and pregnancy.

This looked very much like the last one to Mistress Quickly. Though she didn't like getting involved in any of the affairs that ended up in her tavern, this was something that couldn't be handled on it's own. Despite her vow to stay out of other people's business Quickly knew that somebody needed to intervene here. This girl was practically a child. Now she was pregnant. Somebody so petite wasn't likely to survive giving birth.

Not to mention how sickly the baby itself would be. Yes, Quickly knew of the blood relationship between Riff and Magenta. Everyone else thought she was just his sweetheart. Though Mistress Quickly heard all the conversations everyone else didn't… she actually _listened_. Any sane person would leave a child born of siblings to die of exposure if it even survived being brought into the world (which wasn't likely, especially without any good doctors to help). It wasn't possible for it to be healthy. Though Magenta had enough of a heart that she wouldn't be able to do such a thing, despite leaving a child to die being a custom amongst the poor who _couldn't_ care for anyone extra. Upper-class people had no backbone and spent too much time reading romantic poetry – or so Mistress Quickly thought – to understand such matters.

"What's wrong?" Magenta asked, noticing the look of horror

Mistress Quickly faked a smile. "Not much. It seems you've got a stomach virus, zat's all. Vhy don't you go rest for a while? I'll give you ze day off."

It was better to lie… at least for the time being.

Naïve little thing she was, Magenta believed this nonsense. As Mistress Quickly walked Magenta back to her brother's room, the older woman began to wonder what to do about the unfortunate result of Magenta's childlike nature…

* * *

Meanwhile, in an ugly concrete building next to the _lovely_ Royal Palace, Riff Raff sat in a dimly lit little office. The building was know by everyone as "The Ingolstadt" – though it wasn't known why. There, in his office, Riff Raff read through papers and scribbled corrections here or there. Having done so well in sciences and math at his school, he'd attracted the attention of the royal family.

Queen Marina and King Henry hadn't been the ones who'd actually hired him, however. Their son Henry the Younger had sent a few of his servants to the Prancing Pony the first night Riff arrived in town. They offer a deal almost as dreadful as the one offered to Faust.

He'd only signed the damned thing because he'd be earning so much money from it. There weren't many people who'd take someone penniless and illegitimately born – even a very clever scientist – seriously. Now that any ties to his wealthy father were severed he'd needed to do _something_.

So he spent his time correcting the notes. The project he was to be working on wasn't officially on record so he didn't get a proper office at that point. The promise of a nicer office and access to the labs kept him going. As did the fact that he needed money for the survival his sister _and_ himself, of course. Once he'd proved all the equations checked out and corrected every little mistake he could find the project would become a bit more respected. Then would working conditions improve! That day – the day his landlady found out that he'd be a father – he finished that stage of the project.

So, for once, his supervisor was able to let him go home early without fearing the prince's anger. In this case 'early' meant at dinnertime instead of hours _after_ dinnertime.

Feeling a bit indulgent, Riff rented a cab. Humming that popular new song, the _Time Warp_ , he soon enough found himself at the door of the Prancing Pony.

To his confusion, the Landlady Mistress Quickly met him at the door. As soon as he saw the sorry expression on her face his cheerful mood faded. Now he was very worried. Something terrible had clearly happened.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"It's your sister. I'm sorry… she'd pregnant," Mistress Quickly whispered.

"Who-" he began.

Quickly cut him off. "You're the Father. I'm sorry, my boy, I'm _very_ sorry."

Of course, he didn't know what to say. That didn't make any sense at all as far as he could remember. And it went against a number of laws, both of the legal and the moral persuasion. He felt terribly sick. How had he violated some of the most basic rules of the world? Incest was a sick crime, something half-legendary insane emperors had indulged committed in the early days of the government. It was a crime he'd committed without even knowing it. Like that king who'd married a stranger – _and_ had children with her – only to find out she was his biological mother. Of course, that was because a prophecy said so.

Though Riff had no such excuse. Yet it wasn't truly his fault. He had no memory of anything happening.

Just as he'd finished the most tiresome stage of the project _this_ happened.

Must all good news be followed by bad?

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	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_**

 **A/N: This story is sort of depressing. Really depressing, actually. Though by the time Leir moves in with them (she's named Magreta _Cordelia_ , what do you expect?) things will look up for the main characters. By then Magenta & Riff Raff also be actually dating. Hopefully their current relationship isn't to unrealistic. **

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When Riff Raff went to his room after that conversation, he hesitated before opening the door. He didn't know what to do if _she_ stood there. That foolish girl who apparently was carrying his sickly child! That criminal! Should he just ignore her – she more than half deserved it, he thought – or should he ask if she knew why this had happened?

The possibility of it all being a joke didn't occur to him. Not that it was, of course. Though at that point he had no proof that that awful claim was true.

His expression grim, he opened the door. There stood his dear sister looking perfectly normal. It was if she didn't know what was going on. Strange, since it was she who caused the trouble…

"How was your day?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Perfectly fine. I was just about to go to eat dinner vith Mistress Quickly, you know. I would've waited for you if I'd known you'd be here. Why are you home early?"

He'd almost forgotten! "I finished the first stage of the project today. That means I'll be getting a new office and everything soon."

This sure made her smile. Giggling, she flung her arms around his neck. She looked so happy that he couldn't bear to push her away.

"Does that mean you'll be home in time for dinner every evening?" she asked gleefully. "Oh, that's so wonderful!"

"How was your day?" he asked, after a moment.

"Not as good as yours, though not too bad," his sister replied.

He moved away from her. "Meaning?"

"Well, I was feeling a bit sick to my stomach soon after I got up this morning. Then I had a bite to eat and felt fine. Though I _was_ a bit sick-feeling later in the afternoon. Mistress Quickly gave me the day off because of it all."

"Was there a specific cause?" he asked, nervously.

"I don't know. There aren't any doctors nearby to go to and Mistress Quickly thinks it's just some sort of stomach virus that'll clear up soon. Don't worry, it's not too bad. And it's kept me from eating very much. You've seen how much weight I've gained lately… haven't you?"

"No, I haven't noticed," he said softly.

The perfectly innocent look in her eyes proved that she didn't know what was going on. But how? If a person were pregnant shouldn't she know it? Wasn't there some sort of way the baby announced its presence?

Being a busy science student (and, by this point, hard-working scientist), Riff didn't have much time for a social life. So he'd never really known any girls – who rarely became scientists – until his sister. _Of course_ he didn't know about this sort of thing. He only knew about the basic creation stage… something his foolish sister probably didn't know.

This was bad.

Though he avoided saying anything at dinner. He feigned cheerfulness, told her all he legally could about the project at Ingolstadt, and acted like he normally did. She didn't notice anything odd about his behavior around her… until they'd both gotten into their bed. Then he couldn't help but ask questions.

"Mags?"

"Hmm?"

"What usually happens when I come home?"

Her already fair skin became even paler. "Well, you're often drunk. A-a-and we often-"

Abruptly, he sat up. "No, don't finish that sentence. How did I ever trust you to live here? You were always some sort of _fangirl_ of mine – ever since you were ten, I think you said. Now you've finally fulfilled those sick fantasies of yours!"

"There wasn't any harm in-"

"Yes, there was. And you knew I wouldn't remember because of my nightly habit of drinking my mind away. Is this why you've become some sort of cleaning lady here? To hide all the evidence of an illegal, immoral affair?"

"No! I-"

"Well, intentional or not, you've destroyed your own life by it. The only reason I haven't sent you back to your father is pity. He – or, more likely, that monster Edmund – would probably."

"What harm has any of it done?" Magenta asked, tears welling in her eyes.

"Our landlady thinks you're pregnant. You mentioned you'd gained weight. It's terribly likely."

Neither of them spoke for a while. Finally, Magenta did.

"My father had the servants gave my sisters and I vitamins every day. One of them was to prevent this sort of thing. I'd forgotten all about it! It kept… certain things from happening. I suppose the affects wore off just around the same time we began to… oh dear. What are we going to do?"

He sighed wearily. "I don't know, _little sister_. It would be best in the long run to kill it. I'm sure there's something you can take."

"No! That's a terrible thing to say…"

"You're _fifteen_. That's too young to go through childbirth. It is likely to kill you – especially because we don't even have proper medical care here. If you were still living in the gilded world you'd been raised in things would be easier."

"If I still lived there I wouldn't be with you…"

Magenta's voice was filled with strange sorrow. Before, Riff hadn't heard her like this. This dark expression upon her face made her look much older than she actually was. It made him pity her enough not to literally kick her out of the bed.

"We share enough genetics that the child will be very sickly. Definitely cognitive disabilities that will keep it from holding a stable job and functioning in normal society. My mother's family has a history of depression. That's probably what killed her, indirectly. So the child will be likely to have episodes of that. Since you are practically a child yourself who isn't eating an ideal diet there will probably be _many_ other issues. Between that – and a number of other problems – the baby might be dying already. It's been three months at the most by now, thought… it's survived these for a third of the time you'll be carrying it. Though that still doesn't mean that we can tell ourselves it'll be okay. It's _impossible_ for it to be healthy. Is condemning a child to death worse than condemning it to a lifetime of misery?"

By the end of that speech, Magenta was crying silently. Already she was a bit emotionally unstable. She had been crying for no reason every so often. Now… this was too much.

Neither of them slept that night. They just sat there in silence.

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	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Rocky Horror Picture Show_ **

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**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, WonderfulMidnight! I know it's been some time since I last updated, though I suppose it's because I'm writing too many stories at once. Or I'm just lazy. Either way, I'm sorry...**

 **This chapter isn't that good, sadly. Hopefully it's good _enough_.**

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The next morning both siblings were very tired. Too tired – or perhaps too upset – to speak to each other. Without even looking his sister in the eye, Riff dressed and left for work. Magenta just sat in their bed trying not to cry.

How had everything gone so wrong? She'd fallen in love with him years ago, not knowing the implications of the relationship. Now she realized how bad this really was. Her foolish Pollyanna-like attitude was gone, thanks to such a revelation. This relationship wouldn't work out. Her brother was correct.

She cried for much of the morning. Finally, Doll Tearsheet found her. By then it was nearly lunchtime.

"Oh, hon… What's wrong?" Doll asked.

Magenta didn't reply. Instead, she just stared at the floor.

"Have ya eaten breakfast?"

Though she didn't verbally reply, Magenta at least shook her head to mean 'no'. This – and Magenta's unhappy behavior in general – bothered Doll. How had the girl not eaten yet? Wasn't she hungry?

Of course, Doll knew that asking questions wouldn't get them anywhere. So Doll just led the girl out of her room and into the kitchen. Mistress Quickly was at that point serving customers lunch and avoiding the kitchen. Another thing she seemed to be avoiding was Magenta. She'd decided to let Magenta have a break from working. Not that the girl ever did much work in the first place – Quickly hardly needed her! Well, she'd managed for many years without.

Though, by this point in time, Magenta had learned a few skills. She could cook a few things from scratch – though often burned them – and could cook a variety of things found partially-made in the freezer that was its own room. So, without much prompting from Doll, Magenta began to prepare something simple. She was starving by then. Having to feed both herself and a child – even a sickly one – required much food.

"Vould you like anything?" she asked. "I can make extra."

"Just give me any leftovers," Doll replied with a shrug.

This is how Doll learned something interesting: a quick way to calm Magenta down was to give her a task like cooking. Such knowledge was very useful. Especially since Magenta was pregnant and therefore prone to mood-swings.

Magenta's day was spent simply. Cooking, organizing her room, chatting pointlessly with Doll, etcetera.

* * *

Her brother, on the other hand, was working quite hard. This he actually enjoyed to some extent. Science was something he truly loved. In fact, for a long time he cared for nothing else. It wasn't like he had much of a family. And, despite his handsome face and striking blue eyes, he'd never managed to get a date. Though this was his own choice. He was married to – or at least dating – his work, as the old saying goes.

Any moment that day not spent working with lab equipment was spent thinking about what to do. Nobody save for Doll and Mistress Quickly actually knew that Riff and Magenta were half-siblings. Everyone else assumed they were lovers who'd run off to avoid her parents.

At least they had that. Though they also had different surnames. Hers was, alas, a noble family's name. People would either think she lied or... something. It was then that Riff Raff thought of an idea. They should leave the Prancing Pony, go somewhere in the city where nobody knew them, and change their surname to something else. Surely his supervisor or somebody could provide a place for them to stay! He'd enough allies here and there that disappearing and reappearing as somebody else wouldn't take much effort. His job was a top-secret project that nobody was to know of. So only a handful of people. Records could be changed...

It only took him a moment to think of a new surname. They'd be called 'Vitus'. It meant 'life' in an ancient language he'd studied once. That name would signify a hope of theirs. For them both to live long, happy lives was his greatest wish.

If the ideas worked, he decided, then maybe things would be okay.

So, he worked very hard that day. This mostly meant just testing out various formulas for the project and taking notes. Riff was rather annoyed when he

Nobody else was really working on it – as far as he knew – and he was proud of it. This would be _his_ project!

Riff worked all through lunch break, hoping to be able to go home early. Then he'd get to tell Magenta his ideas. The only trouble was the baby. Despite, the fear of such a sickly wretch being born was a darkness that hid this new hope in its shadows. Riff tried not thinking about it, but it lurked in his mind all the time.

The baby would be sickly, its life miserable, they didn't have enough money, this pregnancy would take its toll on Magenta's health, giving birth might kill poor Magenta…

Even when things seem right again there's always _something_.

* * *

It's odd, isn't it, how Magenta was happy when Riff wasn't and vice versa? Not that this was intended by either of them. Though it was as if they were different sides of one coin. They couldn't both be the same at the same time!

Though it _is_ said opposites attract…

And, soon enough, _he_ would develop an attraction towards _her_. And we already know how much _she_ cared for _him_ already.

They _sound_ doomed, don't they? In fact, they can be compared to a number of star-crossed couples. Like Oedipus and Jocasta, a blood relation gave their relationship a certain wrongness to it. Like Catherine and Heathcliff, they're half-siblings born into different worlds who meet later on. Like Victor and Elizabeth, one likes science a bit too much. _And_ , like Brad and Janet, a certain sweet transvestite really messes things up for them!

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 **A/N: I sort of think Brad and Janet qualify as Star-Crossed lovers. The love each other dearly, but they have to grow up a bit for things to work. Growing up is symbolized by the Denton Affair, which forces them apart. There isn't proof they aren't in love my the end of the movie and there's practically no way their relationship works out post-castle.**

 **Though I also added them to the list because it's sort of funny.**

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